Teresa Wynn Roseborough, Board Member of Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and Former Law Clerk of Justice Stevens, Offers Reflections
Washington, D.C. – Following the death of former Justice John Paul Stevens of the U.S. Supreme Court, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law Board Member Teresa Wynn Roseborough issued the following statement:
“Justice Stevens was a luminary figure on the Supreme Court, and a justice who maintained an unwavering commitment to equal justice under law. Justice Stevens insisted on writing the majority of his own opinions and often chose language intended to ensure that the public-at-large understood the logic and reasoning of his decisions. While he played a significant role in many of the most seminal rulings of the Court, his 2002 decision in Atkins v. Virginia, in which he argued that issuing the death penalty to the mentally disabled violates the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment and his 2006 ruling finding that the Supreme Court had jurisdiction to hear cases brought by Guantanamo Bay detainees are among his most notable. Off the Court and later in life, Justice Stevens became an impassioned advocate for gun control and called for amending the Constitution to eliminate the Second Amendment. He also cautioned against the unbridled injection of corporate dollars into political campaigns. My respect for Justice Stevens could not be greater. It was a privilege serving as one of his many clerks and an honor to bear witness to the way in which he left his indelible mark on the Court’s legacy.”
About the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, was formed in 1963 at the request of President John F. Kennedy to involve the private bar in providing legal services to address racial discrimination. Now in its 56th year, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law is continuing its quest to “Move America Toward Justice.” The principal mission of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law is to secure, through the rule of law, equal justice for all, particularly in the areas of criminal justice, fair housing and community development, economic justice, educational opportunities, voting rights and working to combat hate crimes.
Contact
Reynolds Graves, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Press@LawyersCommittee.org, 202-662-8375
